Means for delivering mail-bags from moving trains.



B. J. PATTON.

MEANS FOR DELIVERING MAIL BAGS FROM MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1907.

899,894, I I Patented Sept. 29,1908

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 E. J. PA TTON.

MEANS FOR DELIVERING MAIL BAGS FROM MOVI NG' TRAINS.

' Patented Sept. 29, 1908;

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4 1907.

, jiz'wf kiiaiz.

ELIAS J. PATTON, or THREE oAKs, MICHIGAN.

MEANS FOR DELIVERING- MAIL-IBAGS FROM MOVING TRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

Application filed. September 4, 1907. a Serial No. 391,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAs J. PATToN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Three Oaks, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Means for Delivering MailBags from Moving Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve ments in means for delivering mail-bags from moving trains, and its object is to provide a structure whereby the transfer of a mail-bag from a moving train to the point of delivery may be made without danger to the mail-bag or its contents, and, when desired, the momentum of the moving mail-bag may be utilized to cause the same to travel to a near-by post office instead of having to be carried thereto after having been thrown from the train.

The invention comprises a suitable structure erected at the sideof'the railroad and so arranged that stop arms may be temporarily projected into the line of travel of a carrier mounted upon the car, on which carrier a mail-bag may be supported, so that whena moving train carrying. a mail-bag in such manner approaches and comes in contact with the stop members the mail-bag is released from the car without shock and is transferred to a light truck mounted upon an elevated track which, running parallel with the railroad, may terminate at a suitable distance sufiicient to permit the momentum of the mail-ba to be slowlyovercome, or the track may be led away to a near-by post office, so that the carrier under the impulse of the momentum imparted thereto by the mail-bag willtravel to the post oflice and so deliver said mail-bag at the 0st office.

The invention will be from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which, p 7 a Figure 1 is an end view of the track structure and also of the structure mounted on the car, showing the two in coactive relation; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, showing the manner of releasing the mail-bag from the car; Fig. 4 is a detail erspective, showing the means for hanging t e mail-bag catching hook located under the track; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a mail-bag catching hook; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the track structure in position to receive a mail-bag; Fig. 7 is a view showing the position of the lly understood parts after a mail-bag has been caught and has been carried away from the track structure; and Fig.8 is an elevation of the track structure, taken at right angles to the showing of Fig.1, with the car-supported parts omitted.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a post 1 which is assumed to be erected at a suitable distance from a' railway track, of which one rail2 only is shown. Near the top of the post 1 is pivotally supported a lever arm 3 by means of a bolt 4, and this lever arm is arrested in its movement about the ivot bolt 4 by a stop block 5 on the post, so t at when the lever arm is brought into contact with the stop block it will project horizontally toward the track 2, as indicated in Fig. 1. A counterweight 6 tends to normally hold the lever arm 3 in inoperative position, as indicated in Fig. 7. At a distance below the arm 3 is another lever arm 7, also pivotally supported by a bolt 4 and having inits path a stop 5, so that this last-named arm 7 is stopped when moved to a horizontal position butis permitted to fall by gravity to the inoperative position shown in Fig. 7

under conditions to be hereinafter described.

The two lever arms 3 and 7 are mounted upon the same side of the post 1, and on the other side at a point a short distance below thelever arm 3 is another arm 8 also provided with a counterweight 9 by means of which it is overbalanced. Near the end remote from the counterweight 9 the arm 8 carries on its under 'facetwo displaced L-shaped pins 10 designed to receive eyes 11 fast on a mail-bag catching device best shown in Fig. 5. This device may be made of a rod having one end 12 bent at right angles. to the main portion 13, which latter has its free end 14 formed into a return bend and then further bent at an angle to form a section 15 diverging from the main part 13. The bend between the parts 13 and 14 is made quite acute for a purpose which will presently appear. One eye 11 is u on the art 12 of the catching device or hoor and t e other eye 11 is upon the main part 13 thereof. When the eyes are entered by the displaced hooks 10 and the parts 12 and 13 rest under the lower face of the arm 8 the catching hook is maintained in a practically-horizontal position. Fast to another eye 16 on the arm 12 of the catching hook is a cord orstrand 17 leading to a carrier 18 mounted upon an elevated track 19 fast at one end to the upper end of the post 1 and at the other end fast at some distant point (not shown). The carrier 18 may have wheels 20 for guiding it along the track and one of these wheels may be engaged by a brake finger 21 to prevent its free movement. Pendently supported by the arm 3 is a link 22 terminating in a hooked end 23, and carried by the arm 7 is another link 24 terminating in a hooked end 25, these links being so disposed that when the arms 3 and 7 are in a horizontal position and parallel to each other the hooks 23 and 25 may be brought into engagement and so look the arms in said horizontal position. Extending through the post 1 is a rod 26 so located that one end may be brought into engagement with the link 24 below its hooked end 25 and the other end of the rod is in the path of the weight 9 on the arm 8, so that when the weighted end 9 of the arm 8 swings downward it will ultimately engage the end of the rod 26 and move said rod longitudinally through the post so as to force the hooked end 25 of the link 24 away from the hooked end 23 of the link 22. s

In order to brace the post 1 against the strain of the track 19 a guy wire 27 may be used, as indicated in Fig. 8.

Projecting from the side of a car, indicated at 28 in Fig. 1, are two brackets 29 joined by a rod 30, on which rod are carried two arms 31 and 32, each of which terminates in a U-shaped end 33. The two legs of each end 33 are joined by a bolt 34 constituting the pivot support of a hook 35 having an extension or arm 36 on the side of the pivot 34 remote from the hooked end 35, the structure being such that the hooked end 35 may project beyond the edges of the extension or end 33. The hooks are designed to receive links or eyes on the two ends of a mail-bag, indicated at 37, and these links or eyes may be in the form of chains 38 so that the hooks 35 will engage some one of the links of the chains. When the mail-bag is so supported the arms 36 project upwardly and downwardly respectively in approximately a vertical position, and when the mail-bag is so supported and the lever arms 3 and 7 are located in the hori- Zontal position the free ends of these arms 3 and 7 are in the path of the extensions 36.

Now, let it be supposed that the mail-bag is being carried toward the right as viewed in Fig. 2, then the extensions 36 ultimately come into contact with the arms 3 and 7. These arms being immovable in the direction of impact, the hooks 35 are moved about their pivots 34 and, the chains or eyes engaged by these hooks being caught by the legs of the U-shaped extensions 33, the hooks are withdrawn from the eyes or chain links as the mail-bag holder on the car passes by the arm 3 and 7. In the meantime, however, the upper chain or support 38 carrying the mail-bag has entered between the members 13 and 15 of the catching hook and ultimately reaches the space between the parts 13 and 14 of the said hook. These two parts are so close together that the chain links are caught thereby and the mail-bag cannot drop. However, the momentum of the mail-bag is sufiicient to throw the eyes 11 oil the hooks 10, these hooks being turned in a direction to permit this action, and then the weight of the mail-bag will cause the same to gravitate toward the ground and, because it is caught in the end of the member 13 remote from the member 12 to which the cord 17 is attached, the catching hook is caused to turn upon the longitudinal axis of the member 12 and so hang pendently from the cord 17. Now, since the mail-bag has the speed of the car, the momentum of the mail-bag will cause the carriage 18 to move rapidly along the track 19. Assuming that this track sin'lply extends along the railroad parallel therewith for a suitable distance, the mail-hag will simply travel along the track 19 until the braking action of the linger 21 upon the roller 20 has overcome the momentum of the mailbag and the carriage 18 with the mail-bag hanging therefrom comes to a standstill; or the momentum may be so greatly reducedv that no injurious shock or jar will result should the mail-bag reach the end of the track 19 while still traveling at some speed. Let it be assumed, however, that, as is often the case, the post oflice is located quite close to the railroad. Under such conditions the track 19 will be carried directly to the post oilice and then the momentum of the mailbag when released from the train. will be suflicient to cause said bag to be automatically delivered to the post oliice itself, thus saving the handling of the mail-bag, as is the case when it must be carried from the point of delivery to the post office.

When the mail-bag has been caught and has passed beyond the post 1 the arm 8, relieved from the weigh tof the bag catching hook, will turn on its pivot until the weight 9 strikes the rod 26, thus disengaging the two links 22 and 24 and the arms 3 and. 7 then gravitate to the positions shown in Fig. 7, so that said arms are out of the path of succeeding trains and are only again moved into and locked in operative position when it is desired to receive a mail-bag.

Since the usual devices for delivering mailbags from points along the track to passing trains may be used in connection with the present invention, it is not deemed necessary to show these catching devices carried by the trains, but it will be understood that a railroad equipped with the present invention will have the ordinary devices for delivering mail-bags from points along the way to moving trains.

It is the usual custom to deliver mail-bags from moving trains by simply throwing them oil? the train at the desired points. The result is that many mail-bags rebound under ditions are entirely avoided and no injury.

can result to either the mail-bag or its contents, and, in addition thereto, there is the added advantage that the mail-bag may be delivered directly to thepost office where such oflice is located near enough to the railroad to utilize the momentum of the mail-bag to cause such delivery. 7

Instead of using the ordinary mail catchers upon the cars, I may use the catching de vices shown in the drawings, upon the car and locate the arms 31 and hooks 35 upon posts along the line of way. By reversing the parts in this manner the mail-bag held by the hooks 35 at a point alongside the railroad track will be caught by a hook member 13 carried by an arm 8 on the car and other arms 3 and 7 on the car will release the bag from the hooks 35. Underthese conditions the track 19 will be sup orted by the car and will extend lengthwise t ereof, and the carrier 18 will travel on the track 19 so supported.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class-described, mail-bagsupports carried upon a car, fixed members in the path of said su ports for disengaging them from the mai -bag, an engaging member adjacent to the fixed memers, a carrier attached to said engaging member, and a track for the carrier, engaging member and mail-bag when caught by said engaging member.

2. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a post located alongside of a railroad track, pivoted arms carried thereby and movable to horizontal positions at right an les to the length of the track, means for ho ding said arms in horizontal positions, a detachable catcher for a mail-bag, a track extending from the post along the line of railroad, a

carrier on said track, connections between the carrier and the mail-bag catcher, a su port for the mail-bag on the car, and detac able connections between the mail-bag and said support arranged to be engaged by the arms on the post when in operative position.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, sup orts projecting from a mail-car, pivoted hoo s carried thereby and having extensions projecting from the pivots of the hooks in a direction 0 osite that of the hooks, means on the mail ag for engaging said hooks to hold the extensions in operative position, fixed engaging members along the line of way in the path of the hook extensions, a mailbag catching member detachably mounted adjacent to the engaging members, a carrier capable of traveling away from said engaging members, and connections between said carrier and the catching members. 7

4. In a device of the class described, a car structure for carrying a mail-bag, comprising arms projecting from the car and terminating in members extending one toward the other with parallel spaced legs, and hooks pivotally supported between the spaced legs and having extensions projecting beyond said legs.

5. In a device of the class described, a car structure for carrying a mail-bag, comprising arms projecting from the car and terminating in members extending one toward the other with parallel spaced legs, hooks pivotally supported between the spaced legs and having extensions projecting beyond said legs, and link carriers adapted to be engaged by the hooks and extending from a mail-bag.

6. In a device of the class described, a structure located along the line of way and consisting of a post, pivotally supported overbalanced arms carried thereby, latch connections between the arms for holding them in operative position, a sliding member arranged to engage the latch members to disconnect them, another pivotally-supported overbalanced arm having one end movable into engagement with the sliding member, a mail-bag catching hook detachably carried by the last-named arm, and means for supporting said hook when detached.

7. In a device of the class described, a structure located along the line of way and consisting of a post, pivotally-supported overbalanced arms carried thereby, latch connections between the arms for holding them in operative position, a sliding member arranged to engage the latch members to disconnect them, another pivotally-supported overbalanced arm having one end movable into engagement with the sliding member, a mail-bag catching hook detachably carried by the last-named arm, and means for supporting said hook when detached, comprising an elevated track,.a carrier movable thereon, and connections between said carrier and catching hook.

8. Ina device of the character described, a mail-bag catching hook having an angle extension, eyes on the main stem of the hook and on the angle extension, a supporting bar, and 'hookson said supporting bar adapted to engage the eyes on the catching hook, said hooks on the supporting bar being shaped to permit the eyes to move 03 the hooks when 51116 catching hook is moved in a horizontal ane. p 9. In a device of the class described, pivotally-supported overbalanced arms, latch connections between said arms for holding them in operative position, a sliding member arranged to engage the latch members to disconnect them, anotherpivotallysupported overbalanced arm having one end movable into engagement with the sliding member, a mail-bag catching hook detachably carried by the last-named arm, and means for supporting said hook when dotached.

10. In a device of the class described, pivotally-supported overbalanced arms, latch connections between said arms for holding them in operative position, a sliding member arranged to engage the latch members to disconnect them, another pivotally-supported overbalanced arm having one end movable into engagement with the sliding member, a mail-bag catching hook detachably carried by the last-named arm, and means for supporting said hook when detached, comprising a track, a carrier movable thereon and connections between said carrier and catching hook.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, suitable supports, pivoted hooks carried thereby, each hook having extensions in a direction away l'rom the hook, means on a mail-bag for engaging said hooks to hold the extensions in operative position, engaging members arranged to strike the hook extensions and so disengage the hooks from the mail-bag, a mail-bag catching member detachably mounted adjacent to the engaging I ELIAS J. PAT'ION.

IVitnesses THERON D. CnILDs, HARRY E. SNYDER. 

